Flanders Man had 400 Grams of Cocaine, DA Says

A Flanders man previously convicted for drug possession was arrested last week on drug and weapons charges after a search of his home allegedly turned up 400 grams of cocaine and two handguns, authorities said.

Faustino Juarez was arrested Friday morning when officers with the East End Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at his home on Riverside Drive. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Along with the alleged cocaine, authorities said they seized two handguns—a .9mm handgun and a loaded .32 revolver—a bundle of heroin and more than $20,000 in cash.

“This was a long-term investigation of a very active drug dealer in the community, a defendant with an extensive criminal history who had a loaded weapon and another handgun in his house,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. He added that a grand jury is reviewing evidence in the case.

Juarez previously served four years in an upstate prison for criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was released in 2008. In 2010, Juarez was convicted of attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance and sentenced to three years in an upstate prison. He was paroled on April 6, 2012.

The East End Drug Task Force consists of drug enforcement units from several drug enforcement units on the East End, including the Suffolk County Police Department and the district attorney’s office.

Rashed Mian has been covering local news for the Long Island Press since 2011. He graduated from Hofstra University in 2010 where he studied print journalism. Rashed, the staff's multimedia reporter, covers daily news for the web, shoots/edits feature videos and writes about civil liberties. He loves Afghan food and sports. Rashed is also a caffeine freak. Email: rmian@longislandpress.com. Twitter: rashedmian